The Fifth Delight
Shri Raghavendra Gurusarvabhauma
107. Ramachandra Marriage by the Grace of Sacred Clay (Mruthika)
While traveling through Haveri, Śrī Rāyaru’s retinue arrived at the sacred town of Gadag. There, the revered Guru spent some time in worship and spiritual practices in the sanctum of Śrī Vīra Nārāyaṇa. As in every place he visited, multitudes gathered to seek his darśana and blessings.
Thousands became fulfilled through his teachings—those suffering from illnesses, poverty, and sorrow; the pious who sought the fulfillment of various desires; the humble and downtrodden who longed for redemption. All found peace, joy, and new inspiration at his lotus feet.
Among the Guru’s close attendants was a young man named Rāmacandra, for whom Śrī Rāyaru had a special affection. The boy was always humble and devoted, saying,
“Master, your service alone is enough for me. I want nothing more.”
One day, while Śrī Rāyaru was washing his hands with mṛttikā (sacred cleansing clay), he smiled and said:
“Rāmacandra, every time I ask, you say you want nothing. But today, you must accept something from me!”
Coincidentally, Rāmacandra had recently developed a desire to get married, but out of reverence he had never mentioned it. Now, with his head bowed and hesitation in his voice, he finally said:
“If it pleases you, Master… I wish to be married. Please bless me.”
Śrī Rāyaru chuckled and replied teasingly:
“Ah, so you finally speak up! But look—right now, I have only this clay in my hands. If you like, I shall give you this!”
Without hesitation, Rāmacandra bowed low and said:
“Master, anything you grant me—be it clay or a crown—is prasāda to me! With your blessing, even a handful of dirt will bring me everything I seek.”
Seeing his pure devotion and unwavering faith, Śrī Rāyaru was delighted. He scooped three small balls of sacred clay and dropped them into the edge of Rāmacandra’s shawl, declaring:
“Rāmacandra, your bhakti pleases me deeply. Accept this clay as my blessing. It shall bring about your marriage.”
Overjoyed, Rāmacandra touched the Guru’s feet and asked:
“Then may I go now, Master? To begin the marriage arrangements?”
Śrī Rāyaru laughed warmly:
“Indeed! May your marriage happen quickly and auspiciously. Go now and return with your bride to receive our blessings. Here, take this plate of phala-mantrākṣate (blessed fruits and rice) as our formal blessing for your wedding.”
Having received Śrī Rāyaru’s blessing, Ramachandra began his journey home. Traveling on foot, one evening he reached a village. Wondering where to rest for the night, he saw a large house nearby. It being quite late, he didn’t want to disturb the residents. Noticing the wide front veranda (jagaḷi) of the house, he decided to rest by the main door.
Weary from his journey, Ramachandra quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the still of the night, he was suddenly stirred by what felt like someone calling him. Jolting awake, he looked around—and what he saw made him shiver with fear!
From beneath the veranda, there stood a terrifying Brahmarākṣasa with a horrifying appearance, roaring:
“O Brahmana! Step aside and let me pass!”
Startled and unsure what to do, Ramachandra immediately remembered Śrī Rāyaru and prayed in his heart:
“Gururāya! Please protect me!”
Instantly, strength and courage welled up within him. With renewed calmness, he stared at the spirit and asked:
“Who are you? Why should I let you pass?”
The spirit thundered in anger:
“You dare question me? Step aside—I must go inside!”
Ramachandra stood firm.
“Why do you need to go inside? First, tell me.”
The rākṣasa roared back:
“You stubborn Brahmana! Listen well. The master of this house is about to have a child born tonight, and I have come to claim that child as an offering! Now move!”
Ramachandra was shocked.
“What? You wish to kill a newborn child? That is a terrible sin! Don’t you know that infanticide is a grave offense?”
The rākṣasa replied:
“Yes, I know. But listen—this householder was the cause of my three children’s death in a previous birth. The pain I suffered from that loss was beyond words. I was consumed by grief and rage. Eventually, I took my own life. And this... this wretched form of a Brahmarākṣasa is my result.
I could have killed him long ago—but no! I want him to suffer as I suffered—the agony of losing his children. I've already taken two of his children in past years. This third one will satisfy my vengeance. Then I shall leave in peace. Now, move aside and let me pass!”
Hearing the Brahmarākṣasa’s dreadful intent, Ramachandra calmly replied:
“Killing an infant is a great sin. Harboring such deep vengeance across lifetimes is not wise. This householder may have been the cause of your children's death in his previous birth, but out of your own anger, you took your life and now suffer in this degraded form.
Let it be. At least spare this one child. Let his lineage live on. Go in peace.”
The Brahmarākṣasa raged:
“You dare lecture me? Step aside now—or your fate will be worse!”
Ramachandra remained unshaken:
“Mighty one, I’m not stopping you from going in. If you truly have the power, go inside. Why trouble me?”
The demon growled back:
“You may not be stopping me directly, true—but you've placed a fiery lump at the threshold! Move it aside, and I shall go.”
This stunned Ramachandra. He realized what the demon was referring to:
The ball of clay given to him by Śrī Rāyaru!
To the Brahmarākṣasa, the clay appeared as fire, blocking his path.
“Incredible! This is no ordinary clay—this is śrīguru’s prasāda. Rāyaru knew everything in advance. This clay was meant to protect this household.
As long as I have this, he cannot harm me... or the child inside.”
Resolving to act, Ramachandra picked up a handful of the sacred clay, held it in his hand and chanted with devotion:
“Oṁ Śrī Rāghavendrāya Namaḥ!”
He then boldly hurled the clay at the demon.
A Miracle Unfolds
Instantly, the clay struck the Brahmarākṣasa—and a wondrous thing happened!
The demon screamed:
“Ayyō! It burns! It burns!”
Within moments, he was engulfed in divine fire and reduced to ashes.
Meanwhile...
Inside the house, at that very moment, the wife of the householder had safely given birth to a healthy baby boy. The entire household, gripped with fear that the ghost might harm the newborn, had been anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Hearing a commotion outside, the householder peeked through the window. To his amazement, he saw the demon burning to ashes before his very eyes.
As the smoke cleared, he rushed outside, overcome with emotion. Bowing to Ramachandra, he said:
“You are a divine being! You destroyed the Brahmarākṣasa who took two of my children and came again tonight. You have saved my family and this child’s life. I bow to you!”
After saving the child from the Brahmarākṣasa using the sacred clay (mṛttikā) given by Śrī Rāghavendra Swami, Ramachandra humbly told the householders:
“Do not offer praise to me—I am only an instrument. This was the power of my guru’s mṛttikā prasāda!”
The householder, Govindaraya, was astonished and asked:
“Who is your guru, O noble one?”
Ramachandra replied:
“The world-renowned saint, Śrī Rāghavendra Swami, is my guru. It is he who has protected your family and saved this child.”
Hearing this, Govindaraya was overwhelmed:
“What! Śrī Rāghavendra Swami—our kulaguru—is your guru too? Please come in and accept our hospitality.”
He brought Ramachandra inside and joyfully showed him the newborn baby boy who had survived. Ramachandra, filled with awe and gratitude, realized:
“Guru Rāyaru saved this life through me. What a blessing!”
That morning, after performing his daily rituals, Ramachandra narrated the entire incident—the demon, the mṛttikā, and the miracle—to Govindaraya, who praised Rāyaru's divine foresight and compassion.
Then, hearing that Ramachandra was seeking marriage, Govindaraya said:
“I believe this is also part of Śrī Rāyaru’s divine plan. I have a widowed sister who has a daughter of marriageable age.
If you accept her, I will be blessed to give her to you in marriage.
Consider this a service to your guru and our gratitude for saving our family.”
Ramachandra, deeply touched, humbly replied:
“Swami, I am an orphan with no wealth or relatives. Would you really give your niece to someone like me?”
Govindaraya replied warmly:
“When you have the blessings of Śrī Rāyaru, what greater wealth do you need?
You are now part of our family and will inherit all that we have.
Please accept this alliance and be happy.”
Ramachandra, realizing the divine orchestration behind it all, gratefully agreed.
Within a few days, the wedding was celebrated with great joy and auspiciousness.
Later, Ramachandra, now with his wife, went to seek blessings from Śrī Rāghavendra Swami, who was camped at Hubballi at the time.
There, in front of the gathering, Ramachandra recounted the miraculous story of the clay and the marriage. The disciples were amazed and praised the guru’s grace and his divine foresight.
With joy, Ramachandra and his wife offered pāda-pūjā, received mantra-mudrādhāraṇa, phalamantrākṣate, and the guru’s blessings. The couple then returned home and lived a long, happy married life in service, remembrance, and gratitude to Śrī Rāghavendra Swami.